Sonics get pounded again — what else is new?

Last night, the Nuggets used 44 points from Allen Iverson to defeat the Sonics by 14. It was vintage Iverson, the little man carried his team on his back to victory. Sometimes you just have to give credit, a Hall of Fame player played like such.

But if I were to tell you that Kevin Garnett would score 10 points, his lowest since being ejected from a game three years ago, and that the Timberwolves would cruise to an easy win, would you believe me? Well it happened Friday. Garnett was a non-factor offensively for Minnesota, and yet it managed to beat the Sonics like it was playing Minnesota-Mankato in a preseason warmup. The Timberwolves ran their offense to perfection without the Sonics bothering to get their bodies in position and hands in the face. Their defense was awful and Bob Hill admitted as much after the game.

But it’s hard to determine what is wrong with this team beside injuries. Tonight was the first night I could say I saw a lack of effort against a team that isn’t all that impressive. Ricky Davis and Mark Blount combined fo 42 points on 18-for-29 shooting while little-used Marko Jaric, who probably wishes he would have not asked to be traded from the Clippers, added 13 easy points in 20 minutes.

This performance resembled the end of the Bob Weiss era, with Weiss looking befuddled as to what would make the team play with desire and effort. Hill keeps saying the team needs rest and a softer scheduled, but every NBA team needs that. The Sonics had to split this two-game swing against division opponents to gain some confidence but they lost the games by a combined 32 points.

The schedule isn’t going to get any easier. After a home game against the Celtics, the Sonics play at Dallas, at Houston, the Knicks at home (should be a win), and then at Golden State and at Phoenix and then Miami and Utah at home. So we are talking maybe 15-24 before the schedule gives them a break. Can they make a run then? It appears that something needs to be done before that point to get the team jumpstarted.

Hill has clamored for another quality center and with Rashard Lewis out, the club could also use another veteran scorer. The question is whether management make those moves sooner or later.